Glassworking apparatus



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GLAsswoKING APPARATUS Filed sept. 15, 194s 3 sheets-sheet 1 /wfNrol/Q A, J-,Juy/NML f G; WHL/mum lg- 6, E945 J. JUVINALL ET AL v `2,405,504,

GLASSWORKING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 15,` 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVEA/roes y .Ji n Juv/MALL y G STuHL/-wz/TH v TTOMEY Aug 6 1946' J. w, .IUVINALL ETAL 29405504 GLASSWORKING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 VVE/v 70%@ J Jaw/MM Filed Sept. 15, 1945 /WeoooNep x uw @ha mlm FUTH Patented Aug. 6, 1946 GLASSWORKING APPARATUS James W. J uvinall, La Grange Park, and George Stuhlfauth, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a. corporation of NewYork Application September 15, 19.43, Serial'No. 502,412

8' Claims.

This invention relates to glass working apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for assembling and attaching glass beads and glass skirts to lead-in wires of vacuum tubes.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for accurately and expeditiously positioning the heretofore mentioned wires, beads and skirts relative to each other and fusing the bead to the wire and the skirt to the bead.

In accordance with the above object, this invention contemplates, in one embodiment thereof', an auto-matic machine Which includesA an intermittently rotatable turret supporting a plurality of circularly arranged devices each comprising a pair of coaxially arranged individually rotatable chucks for receiving a, glass skirt and a lead-in wire. At a loading station, the glass skirt and lead-in wire are chucked and a bead is threaded onto the lead-in wire. Thereafter, in the operation of the machine, the bead is first predeterminedly positioned on the wire and at successive stations the bead is fused onto the wire, and the wire and bead predeterminedly positioned relative to the skirt, the skirt th'en being fused onto the bead, and finally the completed assemblage is ejected from the apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in disconnected relation of vacuum tube parts t be assembled and attached in the use of the apparatus embodying the invention, the glass bead and skirt being shown in section and the lead-in Wire in elevation;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the lead-in wire with the bead, shown in section, fused thereto;

Fig. 3 is a View similar toFig. 2 after the skirt shown in section has been fused to the bead and the assemblage completed;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view on a reduced scale of the apparatus of this invention as viewed looking towards the left hand side of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational View of Fig. 4 as viewed looking toward the right hand side thereof;

Fig. 6 is a vertical central sectional view on an enlarged scale through one of the skirt-receiving chucks shown in Fig. 5; k

, Fig. 7 is an elevational View ofthe chuck shown in Fig. 6 looking toward the left h'an'd side there- Figs. 8, 9 and l0 are enlarged fragmentary plan sections taken on the lines 8--8, 9 9 and lt-HL respectively, of Fig. 4 showing different actuated, positions of one of the sets of coaxially arranged chucks in its intermittent advance with the turret;

Fig. 11 is a vertical central sectional View, on an enlarged scale, through one ofthe lead-in wire chucks; and

Fig. l2 is an elevational viewl of the chuck shown in Fig. 11 looking toward its left end.

'Although not limited thereto, apparatus embodying the features of the invention may be employed Ito advantage for predeterminedly positioning and fusing a glass part to a supporting part and, thereafter, predeterminedly positioning a surrounding second glass part relative to and fusing the same to the first glass part, the assembled and attached parts being used in a vacuum tube. As shown in Figs. 1,- 2 and 3, such an assemblage may comprise a lead-in wire or conductor i5, to which is fused a predetermined distance from one end thereof a glass sleeve or bead IS and to the latter a surrounding glass sleeve or skirt Il, the end of the bead adjacent one end ofthe wire and one end of the skirt being aligned in the completed assemblage, as show-n in Fig. 3.

ReferringA to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 4, 5, 8, 9 and 1-0, the disclosed embodiment of the invention comprises a vertically disposed intermittently' rotatable turret or carrier |18 driven from a, horizontal shaft E9, the carrier supporting a plurality of equally spaced circularly arranged devices, indicated in general at 22, adjacent its periphery. Any suitable mechanism (not shown) may be employed foreffecting an intermittent rotary motion tothe shaft I9 and thereby to the carrier I8, whereby the several devices 22 are advanced, step byl step, in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 4) past gas flame stations 23, 24, 25 and 26 for fusing the parts, gas burners being indicated at 23', 24', 25' and 26', and an operator positioned at. a loading station 21 for mounting the parts l5, i6 and I1 on each device 22, the completed assemblages being ejected from each device at a station 28 where they drop into a container 29. Cooling stations are indicated at 30 and 3|. Y

The details of the mechanism employed for intermittently rotating the carrier driving shaft I9 have been omitted from this disclosure for the sake of simplicity, since such mechanisms are well known in the art and a disclosure thereof is not believed necessary for it forms no part of and is not essential to a complete understanding of the present invention.

Each of the devices 2-2 comprises a horizontally disposed bearing sleeve 32 integral with the carrier |8, in which is rotatably journalled an internally and externally shouldered sleeve 33, to which is keyed for rotation therewith, at 34, a driven friction gear 35, which freely turns at one side upon an inner annular face of the bearing sleeve 32 and its opposite side is retained in position longitudinally of the sleeve by a free collar 36 and a nut 31 threaded onto the sleeve 33. The

driven friction gears 35, included in each of the intermittently advanced devices 22, are driven at each of the stations 23, 24, 25, and 26, also Yat the rst cooling station following thegas name station 24, by their engagement with continuously rotating driving friction gears 38 (Fig. 4) during' their halt thereat, the gears 38 being xed to driving shafts 39 (Figs. 4 and 5) rotating about fixed axes. For continuously simultaneously `driving the shafts 39 they are connected to a common source of power (not shown). At the loading and ejecting stations 27 and 28, respectively, and at the second cooling station 3|, no rotation of the driven gears occurs; therefore, the driving gears 38 are omitted at these latter stations. Slidable longitudinally within the sleeve 33 is a second sleeve 45, which is also internally andexternally shouldered and is keyed at 43 to the sleeve 33 for rotation therewith and also to slide therein. Thus, upon rotation of the gear 35.- the sleeves 33 and 40 also rotate. The sleeve 4B adjacent its outer end is formed with a head portion 44, fitting within an'enlargedbore of the sleeve 33, an annular face 45 at the inner end of the bore serving as a stop face to limit the longitudinal movement of the sleeve 48 inwardly,

as shown in Fig. 9. Formed in the enlarged bore of the sleeve 33 is a keyway 46, in which slides the key 43, which is xed to the sleeve 40. Keyed to the inner end of the sleeve is a flanged collar 4l. Surrounding the opposed reduced ends of the sleeve 40 and the collar 4l is a compression spring-50, which normally acts to slide the sleeve 40 inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 8 to abut the inner face of the head portion 44 thereof against the stop face of the enlarged bore of the sleeve 33, as shown in Fig. 9, when the spring is permitted to act in a manner to be described hereinafter. g

The extreme outer end of the sleeve 40 is of irregular semi-,circular contour and forms an integral fixed chuck portion `5l having a semicircular channel 52 arranged coaxial with the axis of the bore of the sleeve and flared outwardly at its outer end. Peripherally, the chuck portion 5| is flared inwardly at its outer end and adjacent thereto is formed with a semi-circular groove 53. Cooperating with the chuck portion 5| is a movable chuck portion 54, similar in contour to the chuck portion 5|, except that its inner end face is slightly inwardly inclined, as indicated at 55, to'permit it to move outwardly at its extreme outer end from the chuck portion 5|. An annular spring 56 entered in the groove 53 of the chuck portion 5| and a similar groove 51 in chuck portion 54 constantly urges the chuck portions toward each other. To prevent longitudinal displacement of the chuck portions 5I and 54, the portion 5| carries a pair of pins 59 (Figs. l1 and 12), which loosely fit in apertures in the portion 54. The chuck comprising the portions 5|v and 54, is adapted to receive a lead-in wire l5 of the type shown in Fig; 1'.

Within the sleeve 40 is a two-'diameter combined lead-in wire positioning and assemblage ejector plunger 60 having its outer reduced end '4 E0' tted to the smaller bore of the sleeve and the channels 52 to the chuck portions 5| and 54 and its inner enlarged diameter fitted to the enlarged bore of the sleeve, the extreme inner end thereof extending outside the corresponding end ofthe sleeve. Surrounding the. reduced diameter 6G' of the plunger 8i! and engaging opposed annular faces of the sleeve 4Q and the plunger is a compression spring 6|, which normally acts to slide the plunger inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 10, after ejecting the completed assemblage from the device 22, to successive positions shown in Figs. 8 and 9, upon the spring being permitted to act in a manner to be described hereinafter.

Fixed to the outer enlarged end of the sleeve 33, as indicated at 54 (Fig. 8). is a xed chuck portion 65 and cooperating therewith is a movable chuck portion 56 (Figs. 6 and 7). An annular spring Si constantly urges the chuck portions 65 and 55 toward each other. The chuck comprising the portions 55 and 66 is adapted to receive a glass 'sleeve or skirt l1 of the type shown in Fig. l, the

lpreviously described, a further detailed description thereof is not believed necessary.

At the loading station 21 (Fig. 4), a lead-in wire |5 and a glass skirt If! are manually insei-ted into the empty laterally yieldable chuck v,iaws included in each of the devices 22 previously described and a glass bead I6 is threaded onto the lead-in wire to approximately its ultimate position thereon.

In the advance of the chucked parts from the loading station to the gas ame station 23, the bead I5 is moved longitudinally in an outward direction from its original position at the loading station on the wire I5 by its engagement with a stationary cam plate 8| (Figs. 4, 5 and 8). The cam plate 8|, which is supported from a fixed frame 82 of the apparatus by a bracket assembly B3, is so shaped and positioned, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, that the inner edge of the bead i6 ad- `,vancing upwardly in an arcuate path will engage the outer face of the cam plate 8| and thus will be cammed outwardly on the wire 5 to a predetermined position ready for its fusing thereto.

Cooperating with the compression springs 50 and 6l operatively associated with the longitudinally slidable sleeve 40 and the plunger 60, respectively, of the devices 22 are stationary annular cams 84 and 85 (Fig. 5). The cams 84 and 85 are arranged concentric with the axis of the intermittently rotatable carrier I8 and are fixed to the frame 82 of the apparatus. 'As each of the devices 22 is intermittently advanced with the carrier I8, the flanged collar 41 on the inner end of the sleeve 40 and the inner end of the plunger 60 constantly engage and ride upon the cams 84 and 85; respectively, under the urging of their respective springs 50 and 6 l, except when the sleeve head 44 is engaged with the stop face 45 on the sleeve 33 (Fig. 9). The cams 84 and 85 have rises and falls so arranged that at predetermined periods in the advance of each device 22, the sleeve 4|] and the plunger `6|) are Vmoved outwardly against the action of their springs as they ride up the cam rises, and as they ride down the cam falls, the springsact tovmove the sleeve and plunger inwardly.

`In the use of the apparatus embodying the invention, it will be assumed that the carrier I8 is being intermittently rotated in the direction of thearrow (Fig. 4) and during each dwell of successive devicesy 22 at the loading station 2li, an attendant will insert a lead-in wire I5 between the yieldable chuck jaws 5I and 54 and pressitfinwardly until its inner face abuts the outer end face of the reduced end 88 of the plunger 60. Following this, a glass skirt I 'I is inserted between the yieldable chuck jaws 65 and 68 and is pressed inwardly until its inner end face abuts the stop faces 68 of the-jaws. Thereafter, a glass bead IB is threaded onto the lead-in wire I5 to its approximate ultimatev position thereon previously mentioned, the. position'being such that itsinner end face will be engaged by the outer face of the cam plate B'I inthe advance of the device 22 to the glass flame station 23. At the end of the dwell period, the device 22 last loaded with thev parts I5, I6' and I'I is advanced to the station 23 and during such advance, the bead is predeterminedly posi tionedonV the wire l5 by the cam plate 8l. Also, the friction gear 35 engages the continuously rotating friction gear 38 and thus through the sleeves 33 and. 48, and their chucks, the wire I5 carrying the bead I6 and the skirt I1 are also rotated and at they same time the flames fromjthe burners 23" are focused on the glass bead adjacent its outer end edge, as indicated by the full line arrow (Fig- 8) thereby fusing and. attaching the bead at this point to the wire. The device 22 is then advanced to the station 24 and the fusing of the bead to the wire is continued during their dwell thereat, while. being rotated by the engaged friction gears 35 and 38, by means of the flames from vthe burners 24' at this latter station, the latter amesbeing focused at the point indicated by the broken outline arrow. From the stationL 24, the device 22 is` advanced to the. adjacent cooling station 39, where the parts are again rotated by the-engaged friction gears 35 and. 38. After leaving the-loading. station 2l and up to and including the dwell-at the first cooling stationll, no change inthe positions of the parts of the device Z2 occurs since the collar 4.1k on the sleeve 4U andthe inner end of the plunger Sil are engaged with and riding uponY dwell portions of the cams 84 and 85, respectively.

Shortly afterleaving the referred to cooling station 3i), the sleeve collar il on the sleeve 40 and the plunger 60 ride down cam falls on 'the cams 84 and 85, respectively, and under the urging of the springs 50 and 6I, the wire I5 with the attached bead I6 are moved inwardly into the bore of the skirt Il to the position shown in Fig. 9, when the device arrives at the gas flame station 25, wherein the outer end face of the bead is located a slight distance inwardly of the outer end face of the skirt, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter. In this latter position of the sleeve 4i) the head 44 thereof engages the stop face 45 on the sleeve 33 and the cam `84 is so shaped adjacent the station 25 that it clears the collar 4I on the sleeve 48, as clearly shown in Fig. 9. This arrangement provides a more rigid or positive stop v for the sleeve 48 and thus an accurate positioning of the bead I6 in the skirt I'I. During the dwell of the device 22 at the station 25, where the parts are again rotated lby the engaged friction gears and 38, the gas flames from the burners 25' at this station are focused at the point indicated by the full line arrow (Fig. 9) upon the rotating skirt I'I adjacent its outer end edge and thus fuse the skirt to the bead I5. This latter fusing operation is continued in a similar manner at the gas flame station 26 except that the flames .from the burners 26 at this station are focused on the rotating skirt at the point indicated bythe broken line arrow (Fig. 9). Upon terminatingy the dwell at the station 26, the fused assemblage appears as shown in Fig. 3, wherein it will be noted that the displaced cuter ends of the bead I6 and skirt Il, previously referred to and shown in Fig. 9, are in alignment, the alignment resulting from a flow of the fused glass; The device 22 is then advanced to the second cooling station 3l and after a dwell thereat, the device is advanced to and dwells at the ejecting station 28, no rotation of the completed assemblage occurring at the latter stations.

Immediately upon leaving the second cooling station 3l, theY sleeve collar 4l and the plunger 68 ride up cam: rises on the cams 8d and 85, respectively, the arrangement being such that upon the device reaching the ejectingV station 28, the sleeve 4Q has been moved outwardly to its normal position at the loading station 2 (Figs. 8 and l0) and thatA of the plunger Gil to a position where its -outerl reduced end 6D is beyond the chuck comprising the jaws 5i and 54, as shown in Fig. l0. It will be obvious that in its movement to the last described position, the plunger er1-d 60' engaging the inner end face of the lead-in wire l5 pushes the completed assemblage from the chuck jaws 5I and 55, whereupon it falls into the container 29.V After dwelling at the ejection 'station 28, the unloaded device 22 advances to the loading. station 2l (Figs. 4 and 8.) and during such advance the inner. end of the plunger 68 rides down a cam fall on the cam v and through its spring 6I it is returned to its normal position. shown in Fig. 8, whereupon the attendant proceeds to reload the device and thedescribed cycle of operation. is repeated.

It will be understood that the embodiment herein described is merely illustrative of the invention and one application thereof and that modications can be made and it is capable of other applications. v

What i's claimed is: f

1. In an apparatus for fusing a glass sleeve on a wire, wherein a glass sleeve is slidably positionedY on a wire, means in holding engagement with the wire, means operatively engaging the sleeve for moving it on the wire to a predetermined position, a heater adjacent the sleeve, and means operatively engaging the holding means to carry the sleeve in its 'said predetermined position on the wire within the influence of the heater.

2. In an apparatus for fusing a glass sleeve on a wire, wherein a glass sleeve is slidably positioned on a wire, means in holding engagement with the wire, means operatively engaging the sleeve for moving it on the wire to a predetermined position, a heater adjacent the sleeve, means operatively engaging the holding means to carry the sleeve in its said predetermined position on the wire within the influence of the heater, and means slidable within the wire holding means for ejecting the fused assemblage.

3. In an apparatus for fusing glass sleeves on wires, means in holding engagement with a wire having a glass sleeve about said wire, means operatively engaging said glass sleeve for moving it on the wire to a predetermined position, a heating means adjacent the engaging means to fuse the glass sleeve to the Iwire in said predetermined position, means in holding engagement with a ysecond glass. sleeve about said wire, means operatively engaging the Wire holding means to move and telescope the fused sleeve on the Wire into the second glass sleeve, a glass fusing heater spaced from the heating means, and means operatively engaging the Wire holding means and the glass sleeve holding means to carry the telescoped sleeves to a position adjacent the heater. 4. In an apparatus for fusing glass sleeves on wires, a carrier, means mounted on the carrier in holding` engagement with a Wire having a glass sleeve slidably positioned about the Wire, camming means adjacent the carrier to engage and position the said glass sleeve in a desired position on the wire-and for retaining the sleeve in the desired position when the carrier stops, a heater adjacent the carrier to fuse the sleeve inthe desired position on the Wire, and actuating means operatively engaging and moving the carrier intermittently to effect the positioning of the sleeve on the Wire and to carry the positioned sleeve and Wire to the fusing heater.

5. In an apparatus for fusing glass sleeves on wires, a base, a carrier intermittently movable on the base, means mounted on the carrier in holding engagement with a wire having a glass sleeve about the wire, means mounted on the base for operatively positioning said glass sleeve on a predetermined part of the vvire,` a heating means positioned at apredetermined point adjacent the carrier to fuse the sleeve to the Wire,.means carried by the carrier in holding engagement with a second glass sleeve about said wire, means operatively connected to the Wire holding means and controlled by lthe movement of the carrier .to actuate the Wire holding means to move and telescope the fused sleeve on the Wire into the second glass sleeve, a glass fusing heater spaced from said first-mentioned heating means adjacent the carrier, and means operatively engaging the carrier to move it and bring the telescoped sleeves to the fusing heater.

6. In an apparatus for assembling and attaching glass beads and skirt sleeves to lead Wires, a carrier, means mounted on the carrier in hold-- ing engagement with a glass skirt sleeve about a lead Wire having a glass bead fused thereon, a lead Wire holding means operatively connected with the Wire and concentric With and recipro- Ycable within the glass skirt sleeve holding'means,

means operatively engaging the lead wire holding means for actuating it Within the skirt sleeve holding means to .move the fused bead into the concentrically supported skirt sleeve, a glass fusing heater, and means'operatively engaging and moving the carrier to move the glass skirt sleeve adjacent the heater to fuse the skirt sleeve and bead together.

'7. In an apparatus for assembling and attaching glass sleeves on wires, a carrier, means mounted on the carrier in holding engagement with a glass sleeve about a lead Wire having a glass bead fused thereon, awire holding means operatively connected with the Wire and concentric with and reciprocable Within the glass sleeve holding means, means operatively engagingl the Wire holding means for actuating it within the sleeve holding means to move the fused bead and telescope it into the concentrically. supported glass sleeve, a glass fusing heater, means operatively engaging and moving the carrier to move the glassV sleeve adjacent the heater to fuse the glass sleeve and bead together, and means slidable within the Wire holding means for ejecting the fused assemblage.

8. In an apparatus for assembling and attaching glass beads and skirt sleeves to lead Wires, a frame, a turret intermittently rotatable on the frame into a plurality of stations, individual holding means mounted on the turret and hold` ing a skirt sleeve and a lead Wire with a bead sleeve loosely supported thereon, a stationary cam mounted on the frame and positioned to engage and move the glass` bead sleeve to a predetermined position on the wire, means on the turret for rotating the holding means in said stations, a heater adjacent the stationary cam for fusing the glass bead sleeve to the wire in the said predetermined position, means operatively connected to the Wire holding means and controlled by the movement of the turret in moving to one station for actuating the wire holding means axially to move the fused glass bead sleeve within the glass Skirt sleeve, and a heating means located at another station for fusing the glass skirt sleeve to the fused bead sleeve.

, JAMES W. JUVINALL.

GEORGE STUHLFAUTH. 

